Patient tracking is a critically important task for hospitals and medical facilities. Knowing information about a patient and being able to locate that patient within a facility can mean the difference between life and death.
Currently, most patient tracking devices are bulky, expensive and impractical to use. Batteries must be recharged or replaced by hospital staff and the entire device must be re-used each time. This can lead to issues regarding the sterileness of the device which can be of particular concern for newborns and patients with suppressed immune systems. Additionally, tracking devices need to be able to notify nursing staff if the device is tampered with or removed.
Tracking devices also need to be energy efficient, because an increase in energy usage requires larger batteries and can lead to a need for frequent charging or battery changing during the patient's stay at the hospital. Given that some hospitals see a very large number of patients, it is also important that tracking devices be relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable. A high-cost for the construction or use of the devices may make it cost-prohibitive for hospitals to implement.
There is therefore a current need for an energy and cost-efficient patient tracking device that can be easily implemented by hospitals and medical facilities.